Practice distances vs hunting distances?

[DaveBriner]

With a compound, I always practiced at 50-60 yards but limited my hunting range to 40 yards.  I know for a fact my 40 yard accuracy drastically improved when I started shooting at 60 in my sessions.

Should I employ the same type of mentality while trying to improve accuracy with my recurve (obviously, much shorter distances than mentioned above)?

Thanks,
Dave

[McDave]

I practice regularly at distances up to 40 yards.  90% of my practice, however, is at the ranges at which I plan to hunt: 20 - 30 yards.  The reason I concentrate so much of my practice at those distances is that I shoot instinctively.  The only way you're going to shoot accurately instinctively is to shoot a lot of arrows at the distances at which you plan to hunt, similar to practicing with a basketball at all your likely shot distances, or throwing a football through an old tire.  When I shoot at 40 yards or further, it's more for fun or in case I decide to shoot in an archery competition, so I can keep the arrows in the general vicinity of the target.

If I were shooting using an aiming method, gap, etc., or shooting mainly to practice for tournaments, I would probably spend more time shooting at longer distances.

[DaveBriner]

That's exactly what I was wondering about since it's not a "just choose the right pin" thing.

I'm not really sure what type of shooter I am yet.  Since most of my practice has been done so close, I don't know what I've been using to reference my vertical.  I have tried a few longer shots and found that my autopilot subconscious went into gap mode.  More for aligning left/right than up/down.  Maybe that's called point-on?

Best,
Dave

[McDave]

In instinctive shooting, you don't use any reference for the vertical or horizontal placement of the arrow.  You just focus on the target, similar to shooting a basketball or throwing a football, and shoot the arrow when it feels right.  That's why it takes more practice than some method where you use sights or the arrow point as a reference (gap, stringwalking, or point-on).

For me, it is not a problem shooting instinctively at shorter distances, since the arrow point is low enough that I'm not tempted to use it.  Similar to what you said, at longer shots when the arrow point gets up into my sight picture, I tend to use it, since I don't practice enough at longer distances that I have any "instinctive" feeling as to where to shoot the arrow without some point of reference.

[BLACK WOLF]

Originally posted by DaveBriner:
Should I employ the same type of mentality while trying to improve accuracy with my recurve (obviously, much shorter distances than mentioned above)?

Thanks,
Dave

If you are only going to learn to aim Instinctively...than I would suggest primarily...if not ONLY...practicing from distances you want to shoot from.

The reason being is that Instinctive aiming is harder to master to achieve the same level of consistency in accuracy when compared to the other barebow aiming techniques...especially at longer distances or when distances vary greatly.

It can take 100's if not 1000's of arrows to engrain the proper feel and sight picture within your subconscious and muscle memory to be consistently accurate at a certain distance when the other barebow aiming techniques should basically take just a few shots to figure it out.

One of the most important things to consider when developing and/or learning an aiming technique is to make sure your form is consistent. It’s less important the closer the target is and even more important the further the target is.

If you are going to learn one of the other barebow aiming techiniques besides Instinctive Aiming...I would again focus primarily on the distances you will be hunting or competeing from but practicing at longer distances can definitely make shooting at closer targets feel easier and can also be another way of showing you problems in your form.

Ray    

[reddogge]

At longer ranges the margin for error is much less than at closer ranges.  Any twitch of the bow hand, string pluck, bow arm drop, or creep will magnify itself at your longer ranges.  Shooting at them once in a while will help fine tune those things I feel.  But probably as a steady diet I would not recommend.

[zetabow]

Dave many of the Trad top tourney shooters use several aiming styles which helps them cope with many different shot situations and allows them to stay accurate on longer shots.

Although you may use differnt aiming technique for longer and shorter distances, we all know this game of Archery is 80-90% mental so having confidence to shoot at all distances will make you more confident at short range regardless of aiming choice.

You're on the right path, enjoy the journey ;-)

[Pruneemac]

I agree with zetabow, for me practicing at longer distances then moving into closer range (treestand distance for example) builds confidence.

I know a guy in Az. that practices out to 100 yds. mostly because you will be lucky to get a Coues within that range. In Aug. we shot deer (4 of us), from 8 yds. to 73 yds.(73, 59, 42, 8) If we hadn't practiced at long range (75 yds.) I doubt the longer shots would have been made.

[artifaker1]

I like to shoot at 35 and forty five at the outdoor range. The wheel guys tend to shoot even distance. I have to make myself practice shorter, but at multiple targets to save arrows. I've stacked groups at 35, but I don't think I would try a shot at 70 on a big game animal . We also go down to the 65 which is our longest, it is fun but it is hard to get a usable trajectory. I also have to anchor under my chin to keep the arrow out of the line of site. All my stuff is 10+ grains per pound tending toward the plus, so they do drop fast.

[longbow1]

I regularly practice shooting at 80 yards, mistakes in shooting form are easily identified at longer distances. I find that shooting long distance makes me a better shot at hunting distances.

[Pruneemac]

Thats what I'm talkin about Longbow1!

[DaveBriner]

Yep,
That's why I was always practicing at long range with the wheelie bows.

I find that even while I lack the precision to put the arrow on the bull, what I learn from the accuracy is probably worth while.  I find when I'm shooting my best, the arrows maintain good alignment left/right, but the vertical compensation on my part is not there yet.  But when my form goes south, so does the left/right.

Dave

[Christiaan]

Originally posted by longbow1:
I regularly practice shooting at 80 yards, mistakes in shooting form are easily identified at longer distances. I find that shooting long distance makes me a better shot at hunting distances.

I've only been shooting for about six months and are slowly moving backwards. At 20 yards I'm OK but everything opens up from there.  30y is a challenge.  I'm amazed and challenged by the thought of shooting 80 yards. Sure still have much to learn.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by longbow1:
I regularly practice shooting at 80 yards, mistakes in shooting form are easily identified at longer distances. I find that shooting long distance makes me a better shot at hunting distances.

I couldn't agree more. You can get away with murder at 20 yards compared to 60 or 80. The club I belong to has an indoor range where you can shoot up to about 42 yards, so I practice a lot from that distance in the winter months. Once the weather is nice, I spend a lot of time on the field range.

If you can group at 40, 60 or more yards, deer at 20 become chip shots.

[bowmofo]

It's not how far you can shoot!
It's how close you can get!  

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by bowmofo:
It's not how far you can shoot!
It's how close you can get!      

But if you can't shoot once you get that close, you may as well just bring a camera.  

[SteveB]

Originally posted by bowmofo:
It's not how far you can shoot!
It's how close you can get!      

I can get 1 ftaway from my targets in the back yard - other then for some form work, shooting there doe little to make me a better shot.

Practising a variety of distances does - and makes me a much more effective hunter.

Steve